Make A Stand with the City of Ryde

The City of Ryde has launched the Make A Stand campaign to raise awareness about domestic and family violence within the community.

The Make A Stand activities will centre around the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This is an annual international campaign that commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day. During the campaign, a range of activities will take place that will tell the stories of those impacted by domestic and family violence, while also putting the spotlight on organisations that are there to help.

Activities taking place in the City of Ryde as part of the Make A Stand campaign include:

Trim Place, Gladesville on 25 November: Trim Place will go purple to Make A Stand. People are encouraged to pay a visit, take a selfie and post to social media with the hashtag #MakeAStand
Venture Café on 26 November: This event will showcase innovations in the prevention of abuse and violence by local government and service providers
Make A Stand podcasts: Learn about domestic violence and abuse and hear from the experiences of survivors by tuning into these engaging and moving podcasts. Available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Arabic and Farsi
#MakeAStand Digital Vigil on 28 November: Show your support to end violence and abuse by taking a selfie at dusk and posting to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #MakeAStand and tagging @CityofRyde.

City of Ryde Councillor, Penny Pedersen, who is also a member of the Ryde Hunters Hill Domestic Violence Committee, said it was more important than ever to shine a spotlight on domestic and family violence and the terrible toll it takes on its victims, family members and the community.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began at the start of 2020, community support organisations like The Northern Centre has reported a significant increase in the number of client presentations to its services that are domestic and family violence related.

"We hope that the entire community, schools, businesses, and sports clubs in the City of Ryde can join us to make a stand against abuse. The campaign will be enormous – from simple events like turning Trim Place in Gladesville purple to the massive production of podcasts in six different languages,” Clr Pedersen said.

“Thanks to the support of the Community Migrant Resource Centre, we are also making sure the message is extended throughout our culturally and linguistically diverse community.

“Together, we can make a difference and put an end to violence and abuse."

If you or someone you know is experiencing any form of violence, there is 24/7 free and confidential support available. Please call the Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 656 463 or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.